


Uncaging the Heart

by BugontheRug



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: AU where everyone is bisexual so author wouldn't have to write awkward do you like dudes scene, AU where everyone's heart is magically outside of their body, Alternate Universe - No Zombie Apocalypse, Angst with a Happy Ending, Heartbreak, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-19
Updated: 2019-01-19
Packaged: 2019-10-12 19:44:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17473826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BugontheRug/pseuds/BugontheRug
Summary: "After Lori’s death, Rick kept his heart in a cage that he kept on his belt loop. Never again would he let it float past him into the hands of another who could hurt him that way."





	Uncaging the Heart

**Author's Note:**

> For RWG Valentine Challenge 2019. Might've been super stoked to write this piece. The prompt was "It's better to have loved and lost, than to have never loved at all!" with the added challenge of keeping it under 1000 words.

After Lori’s death, Rick kept his heart in a cage that he kept on his belt loop. Never again would he let it float past him into the hands of another who could hurt him that way. He got stares and whispers as people wondered what kind of person he was to keep his heart locked up. He would be walking down the street seeing other peoples’ hearts floating gently around them and feel the weight on his hip get heavier. And heavier still when he saw couples whose hearts weaved around the both of them, shouting to the world that they were in love.

He had been one of those couples once. Maybe his and Lori’s hearts tended to swirl around them individually more than both of them near the end, but he still loved her. He still missed her and the warmth that would flood him when she did touch his heart.

He sat at the bar, sipping his beer and ignored the quiet words exchanged between the other patrons. He knew that his heart was starting to shrivel from the lack of touch. He hated himself every time Carl would ask to hold it, just for a moment, and he would say no, too afraid of not being able to put it back if he let it out. On those nights, he would sit at Carl’s bedside while he slept and hold his little heart in his hands and let all his love for his son flow through him. His heart may be shriveled after Lori’s death, but he wouldn’t ever let his son’s become the same.

The stool next to his scrapped the floor as a man sat down and ordered a beer. Rick gave the man a once over before returning to his beer only to look back when what he saw finally registered.

This man’s heart was the most scarred heart Rick had ever seen. Rick’s may have been starved and heavy, but to be scarred meant betrayal of the worst kind. A parent’s neglect, love that was used and abused, love that was cheated on, kindness that was never given when it was needed the most. This man’s heart was nearly completely covered in scars, crisscrossed one over another. 

“Thought you’d be different. But yer starin’ jus’ like the rest of them.” The man’s voice was deep and gravelly and, after finally looking away from the man’s heart, saw that the rest of him fit the voice. He was muscular, arms showing from his well-loved sleeveless shirt and vest, with a scruffy goatee and shaggy hair that fell to his shoulders. Rick could feel shame heating his cheeks as he turned away.

“Sorry. Haven’t seen many scarred hearts.” It was a lame excuse in his own ears and hoped the man would have mercy on him and leave him alone.

“Well, I ain’t ever seen no one cage their heart before and you don’t see me starin’.” Rick hunched over fighting the urge to flee. “Shit,” the man sighed out, “This isn’t going how I planned.” 

Rick looked at him, feeling his eyebrows furrow. “What?”

The man sighed and took a large gulp of beer before standing up. “You wanna get out of here?”

“Do I...what?” Rick was struggling to comprehend the direction the conversation had taken. Wasn’t he just being scolded?

“You ain’t looking for love and I sure ain’t looking for love, but we both deserve some fun now and then.”

Rick’s eyes widened as he felt his heart flutter. “Sure, let’s get out of here.”

***

What followed was the wildest night of Rick’s adult life. Daryl rode him until he was screaming with his release. He was woken up with a blow job to go another round. He woke Daryl up with kisses on his neck and a finger massaging him open. By their fourth round, the sun was starting to rise and Rick was slowing thrusting in and out of the man beneath him, Daryl’s legs wrapped around his waist, and their mouths close together sharing air. Rick watched Daryl’s face in awe as the man slowly fell apart.

Daryl had fallen asleep again soon after while Rick went to grab some wipes to clean them off. He sat on the bed a moment watching him sleep as the sun filled the room with its soft morning light. 

Daryl’s heart had been cautiously coming up to him and then jerking away at the last second for the last ten minutes. When it approached again, Rick held his hand out. As it settled into his palm, Rick felt a sense of wonder and potential fill him. He gave the heart a soft kiss, smiling at Daryl’s soft, sleepy sigh, before standing and getting dressed. He left Daryl’s apartment with a lighter heart. 

When Daryl woke up later, his disappointment of finding an empty bed was replaced with hope when on his nightstand he found a phone number scribbled on a slip of paper next to an empty cage.


End file.
